Sony and Naughty Dog revealed a new character and a few details about their upcoming post-apocalyptic third-person survival action-adventure game, The Last of Us.
According to an entry on the official PlayStation Blog, the new character is Tess, who is Joel's partner and is played by former "24" actress Annie Wersching.
"A hardened survivor living in one of the last remaining quarantine zones, Tess operates in the black market of a city under martial law," Naughty Dog community strategist Eric Monacelli wrote in the entry. "Partners with Joel, they have become known within the criminal underworld for their ruthlessness. Street smart and confident, Tess is a savvy strategist and negotiator. Her ability to generate intelligent plans to secure the contraband for their trade is second to none."
Monacelli explains that Joel and Tess have a very similar philosophy on survival, but that Tess questions Joel's feelings toward her.
"Tess and Joel subscribe to the same dog-eat-dog philosophy," Monacelli said. "They survive by being willing to do what others can't or won't. Her trust in and loyalty towards Joel runs deep. However, secretly, she questions whether Joel shares the same emotions that she feels for him."
Wersching spent long hours filming on Naughty Dog's mocap stage for in-game cinematics that featured Tess. You can check out a video of her performance after the jump.
The Last of Us is scheduled for a worldwide release on May 7, 2013 for the PlayStation 3. The game is set two decades after an outbreak kills millions of people and creates infected mutated zombie-like creatures. The survivors are housed in quarantine zones and live under martial law.
Back when the game was first revealed, Naughty Dog co-president Evan Wells posted this statement about the game on the PlayStation Blog:
"The Last of Us is a genre-defining experience that blends survival and action elements to tell a character driven tale about a modern plague decimating mankind. Nature encroaches upon civilization, forcing remaining survivors to kill for food, weapons and whatever they can find. Joel, a ruthless survivor, and Ellie, a brave young teenage girl who is wise beyond her years, must work together to survive their journey across what remains of the United States."
